Remembering: The Thirteen Lost in Aurora

On the night of July 20, 2012 twelve people lost their lives in Aurora, Colorado when a masked and armored gunman began shooting in the movie theater they had come to.

Ten died at the scene, two more at hospitals, and the thirteenth was lost in a miscarriage caused by the trauma.

Fifty-eight more people were injured, at least eight of which are still in critical condition.

This post shall serve as a memorial for the twelve that died in the tragedy.



Alex Sullivan, 27, was out celebrating his birthday with his friends. Sunday would've been his first wedding anniversary.

He was a graduate of Gateway High School, in Aurora.

His family remembers him for having a huge heart.

Micayla Medek, 23, graduated from Hinkley High School, lived in Westminster, and was attending Aurora Community College.

Her family "hope[s] this evil act doesn't shake people's faith in God."

She had been in the process of saving money for a trip to India, with coworkers.

Jessica Ghawi, 24, also went by Jessica Redfield, was an aspiring sports broadcaster.

Originally from San Antonio, Texas, she had moved to Denver for an internship towards her dream.

She was a huge Colorado Avalanche fan, and didn't miss a game.

In June she had just left a mall in Toronto when a gunman opened fire there. Her blog talked about the incident and how it affected her.

"I was shown how fragile life was on Saturday. I saw the terror on bystanders’ faces. I saw the victims of a senseless crime. I saw lives change. I was reminded that we don’t know when or where our time on Earth will end. When or where we will breathe our last breath."

John Larimer, 27, was from Chicago, graduating from Crystal Lake South High School.

He was stationed at Buckley Air Force Base as a cryptologist with the US Navy.

Matt McQuinn, 27, died protecting his girlfriend from the bullets.

Samantha Younger was wounded in the leg, but survived the onslaught because of his sacrifice.

He moved to Aurora, in November 2011 from Butler Township in Ohio.

He was a graduate of Butler-Vandalia High School.

Staff Sergeant Jesse Childress, 29, lived in Thornton.

He was an Air Force cyber systems operator at Buckley Air Force Base.

When the shooting started he dove in front of a friend from the base, taking a bullet that would have hit her.

A very active person, he could always be found playing one sport or another.

His friends knew him as a huge nerd, who had named his black Scion "The Batmobile".

Veronica Moser Sullivan, 6, was at the movie with her mother, Ashley Moser, who was shot multiple times.

She had just begun learning to swim, and loved it.

Ashley Moser's unborn child was lost in a miscarriage while she was undergoing surgery for the injuries she received from being shot multiple times.

Jon Blunk, 25, shielded his girlfriend from the bullets.

He sacrificed himself to save Jansen Young's life.

Blunk was a former member of the US Navy, and had been planning on reenlisting, in hopes of becoming a SEAL.

He had been scheduled to spend the week in Reno, Nevada to visit his children who are two and four.

Alexander Boik, 18, had graduated from Gateway High School.

He was set to attend Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in the fall.

AJ's friends and family remember him as someone who would do anything for a laugh.

Alex Teves, 24, was from Phoenix, Arizona.

Alex shielded his girlfriend, Amanda Lindgren, from bullets, saving her life.

He had recently earned his master's degree in counseling psychology from the University of Denver.

Rebecca Wingo, 32, was the mother of two daughters, nine and five, who she had moved to Aurora, in September, to be near.

Wingo had formerly worked for the US Air Force as a translator and had recently started a new job, in the medical field.

Her family remembers her as an extremely giving person.

Gordon Cowden, 51, lived in Aurora, and was from Austin, Texas.

He had taken his two teenage kids to the movie.

Both his kids escaped unharmed.

More Spanish Austerity Protests

Spain saw it's largest austerity protests to date, on Friday.

Protests and marches took place in at least eighty cities.

Tens of thousands took place in the protests, including police and fire personnel.

Some cities saw the protests turn violent as protestors began throwing objects at police.

Police used rubber bullets, tear gas, water cannons, and batons to disperse the rioters.


On Thursday the latest austerity bill passed through Parliament.

The austerity measures are expected to save the country more than eighty billion dollars.

Part of the measures included an increase in sales taxes, while decreasing unemployment benefits.

Currently the country faces twenty-four percent unemployment.

Worst Mass Shooting in US History

The shooting at Century 16 Theaters in Aurora, Colorado, is being called the worst mass shooting in US history. Police were not willing to discuss many of the questions which the press had for them, at the press conference this morning. They have asked the press and public to be wary of rumors. In at least one case someone pretended to be Police Chief Oates, in an attempt to spread false information. Another press conference is scheduled for 7pm MDT. Here's what we do know.

Around 12:30 am a gunman, who was in full body armor and a gas mask, managed to enter through an emergency exit of theater nine. He threw two or more devices which released gas and smoke, and then opened fire with an AR15 rifle, firing multiple magazines until it jammed. When that occurred, the gunman switched to a 12 gauge shotgun and a .40 caliber handgun, emptying both of those. After which he left through the door, stood by his car and awaited police.

Witnesses mostly describe the shooter as calm. When he left he strolled out, no running, no talking, just silent and steady. His firing was not aimed at any single person or group, it was just aimed to do the most damage possible. Several of his shots did actually go through a wall, into the theater next door.

Seventy-one people had been shot, ten of which died at the scene, two more at hospitals. Victims were taken to five different Aurora hospitals and one in Parker.

At 12:39 am Aurora police began receiving what Chief Dan Oates described as hundreds of calls. Officers were on the scene within ninety seconds, and found the shooter by his car, who identified himself as the shooter, told them where he lived, and then warned them his place was booby trapped. Police found another .40 caliber handgun, in his' vehicle, as well as more ammunition for the other weapons.

Authorities at his apartment evacuated several other buildings in the neighborhood, and are planning a way into room, which they say is wired with incendiary and chemical explosives. It might be days until they get into his place.

Names of the dead are not being put out at this time, however the family of one of the victims did say she was amongst the dead. Jessica Ghawi, who was an intern working towards sports broadcasting, had escaped a shooting in a Toronto mall last month. Her family asks that people remember her smile.

The shooting has brought back memories of Columbine, to many in the Denver metro. The two locations are separated by about fifteen miles.

Police departments in cities across the US are beefing up security for all further events this weekend. President Obama has declared that all flags should be flown at half mask, until July 25.

(This article was edited to remove any mention of the shooter's name.)

Deadly Shooting in Aurora

Twelve people were killed Thursday night at Century theater by the Aurora mall, in Colorado.

People were massed to see the midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises.

A gunman gained entrance to screen nine, through an emergency exit.

He then threw in tear gas, and possibly flash bangs, before opening fire into the crowded theater.

After firing sixty rounds, he calmly left the building, and stood by his car til he was arrested.
Victims were taken to five Aurora hospitals, as well as Parker Adventist.

Sixteen are listed in critical condition, at this time.

The gunman's apartment was found to be booby trapped, and local and federal officials are attempting to defuse explosives before entering.

Several buildings around his apartment building have been evacuated as a precaution.

We are live at the press conference, and will have updates for you as they come.

Honda and Acura Recalling 321,000 Vehicles

Honda has announced a recall of more than 321,000 vehicles, from all over the world.

They are being recalled because the locks may fail to work, causing the door to open at any time, including whilst the vehicle is moving.

314,000 of the 2012 Honda CR-Vs are being recalled.

From the 2013 Acura ILX 7,300 are in need of being checked.

Letters will be sent out, starting in August, to purchasers of the vehicles in need of inspection.

Dealers will then look at the vehicles and fix them if required.

Syrian Rebels Take Border Crossings

Syrian rebels have seized border crossings along the Turkish and Iraqi borders.

Members of the Free Syrian Army forced their way into, and took the outposts over.

So far they've only taken two of the border points with Turkey, but others are under assault.

Along the border with Iraq they have reportedly taken every single one.

Iraqi troops have confirmed that several of the border crossing now fly the flag of the Free Syrian Army, rather than the national flag.

Ford Recalls More 2013 Escapes

Just three days after Ford announced a recall of over ten thousand 2013 Escapes, they've had to recall nearly twelve thousand more.

Even worse for the company, the recalls are for two different problems.

The earlier recall was due to an error in manufacturing led to extra carpet padding that can get in the way of the brake pedal.

This new one is being made due to the possibility of the engine catching on fire.

2013 Escapes that have the 1.6 liter four cylinder engine, have fuel lines that can crack and spill gasoline, which causes the fire danger.

So far three such incidents have happened, luckily no one has been hurt.

If you've one of the recalled Escapes, dealers will bring a loaner car for during the time whilst yours is being fixed, at no charge.

The Escapes in this new recall were built at the company's Louisville, Kentucky plant between April and July 11, and distributed throughout the US and Canada.

Teen Dies After 40 Hours of Diablo III

An eighteen year old in Taiwan, has reportedly died after he played Diablo III for forty straight hours.

The teen booked a private room in an internet cafe on July 13, and went on to play the game for forty straight hours, without a break.

On July 15, a worker at the cafe checked on him, finding him asleep.

The cafe worker woke him, the teen then stood up, stretched, took a few steps, and then collapsed.

He was reported dead at the hospital, due to a blood clot which formed due to his lack of movement.

Deaths due to prolonged video game playing have been reported before, and it is something gamers need to watch out for.

Diablo III's developer, Blizzard, released the following statement:

We're saddened to hear this news, and our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time. We don't feel it would be appropriate for us to comment further without knowing all of the circumstances involved. While we recognise that it's ultimately up to each individual or their parent or guardian to determine playing habits, we feel that moderation is clearly important, and that a person's day-to-day life should take precedence over any form of entertainment.

Six Alarm Fire in Bronx Injures Twenty-Seven Fire Fighters

A six alarm fire severely burned an apartment building in the Bronx, in the early hours of Wednesday.

Around two hundred fire fighters took part in battling the flames.

Twenty-seven fire fighters and five residents were injured the over night blaze.

Fire officials estimate that about a third of the one hundred and eighty apartments were damaged by flame, smoke, and or water.

The flames spread so fast, that many residents only escaped with what they were wearing, some were unable to get pets out.

Residents in non damaged units were allowed back in by the afternoon, but for many nothing was saved.

Seven Killed in Bus Explosion

A bus explosion, at the airport, in Burgas, Bulgaria killed seven, and injured thirty.

It also damaged two other buses, next to it.

The buses were three of four filled with Israeli tourists, who had just flown in.

Bulgaria is a popular vacation spot for Israelis.

Israel was quick to place the blame for the attack on Iran, pointing at a chain of other attacks, in other countries.

Officials in Bulgaria has promised to investigate the explosion, and does consider terrorism a possibility.

Witnesses have said that the explosion seemed to come from beneath the bus.